Carpet-stretcher.



awawl'w PATENTED JULY 23, 1907. F RICHARDSON GARPET STRETGHER.

APPLIUATION FILED OUT. 8, 1904.

attomwq I Q Vi t'nzooeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK RICHARDSON, OF FARMINGTON, MISSOURI.

' GARPET-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed October 8, 1904. Serial No. 227,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Farmington, in the county of St. Francois and State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet stretchers, its objectbeing to provide a device of this character which is simple ofconstruction, efficient in use and inexpensive of production and whichis readily and conveniently adjustable to adapt it to stretch carpetsfor rooms of different sizes and to adjust and hold for tackingcomparatively long strips or sections of carpet.

Another object is to provide a stretcher which may be packed in closecompass for storage or transportation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved carpet stretcher with theparts assembled and arranged in position for use; Fig. 2 is a plan viewshowing the sections of the handles folded or closed together to adaptthe stretcher to be packed in close compass with its standard forstorage or transportation; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the claw ortoothed triangular plate; and Fig. 4 is a view of one of the couplingsfor connecting the ends of the parallel bars composing the supportingstandard.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes asupporting standard comprising spaced parallel bars 2 and 3 connected attheir opposite ends by unions or couplings 4. Each union or coupling 4,as shown in Fig. 4, comprises a body plate 5 bearing upon one of itssides spaced sockets or receptacles 6 adapted to receive the ends orextremities of the bars 2 and 3 and hold them in assembled relation.These couplings may be held in place by frictional contact with the endsof the bars or may be adjustably secured thereon by any preferred formof fastening.

An operating handle or thrust bar 7 is employed in connection with thestandard 2 and comprises two bars or sections 8 and 9 which are slidablyconnected to make the handle adjustable as to length to suit differentconditions of service. As shown, the respective lower and upper or innerand outer ends of said bars 8 and 9 are provided with sleeves 10 and 11fastened thereto and adapted to receive the other sections, so that thesections are held in parallel relation and slidably connected together.In the sections are formed series of openings 12 and 13 for thereception of a pin 14 adapted to be passed down through one of theopenings 12 and a registering opening 13 to connect and hold the barsfrom relative movement when adjusted to the desired position. The handleextends through the space between the two bars 2 and 3 of the standard1, and the outer end of the bar 8is provided with a suitable graspingportion 15, while the outer or lower end of the bar 9 carries a claw 16to engage the strip of carpet which is to be stretched and hold it instretched position while it is being tacked to the floor or surface.This claw preferably consists of a substantially triangular plate curvedlongitudinally and provided at its base with spurs or prongs 17 and atits vertex with a socket 18 to receive the end of the bar 9, which isfastened therein by any approved character of connection. The bar 8 isprovided with transverse'apertures or holes 19, and the bars 2 and 3 ofthe standard 1 are provided with similar apertures or holes 20, andthrough these apertures a pin 21 is adapted to be passed to pivotallyconnect the handle to the standard and secure the same in properlyadjusted position.

In the operation of stretching a strip or piece of carpet the standard 1is placed in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the handle 7is connected therewith by the pin 21 after the bars or sections 8 and 9thereof have been adjusted to the desired position to make the handle ofrequisite length to operate upon the strip of carpet which is to bestretched. The handle 7 is then drawn back and the claw 16 engaged withthe strip or piece of carpet and rocked upon the standard 1 as afulcrum, a forward movement being imparted thereto after the claw hasbeen engaged with the carpet to stretch the carpet to the desiredtension, afterwhich the parts are retained their adjusted position untilthe strip of carpet is tacked or otherwise fixed to the floor. Thisoperation is carried out successively upon various portions orstrips ofthe carpet until the entire carpet is stretched and secured, after whichthe parts of the stretcher are disassembled by withdrawing the pin 21 todisconnect the handle and standard, then withdrawing the pin 4 andsliding the bars 8 and 9 of the handle together until they are closed,as shown in Fig. 2, then applying the pin 14 to hold the said bars ofthe handle in fixed relation, and finally securing the handle to thestandard 1 to hold the parts of the stretcher in coupled relation and insuch close compass .that they may be packed and stored with facility.

It will be observed that the form of the unions 4 is such as to enablethe handle when the bars 8 and 9 are closed to be slipped down betweenthe bars 2 and 3 of the standard 1 and fastened by the pin 21, and thatthis operation of assembling the parts for storage may, if desired, beaccomplished without first detaching the handle from the standard, as,after the bars 8 and 9 have been slid together to decrease the length ofthe handle 7, the latter may be swung on the pin 21 as a pivot betweenthe bars 2 and 3 and there held until it is desired to employ the deviceagain. This operation of assembling the parts by swinging movement ofthe handle upon the standard may be facilitated by mounting thecouplings or unions 4 in such manner that the spaces betweentheirsockets 6 open upon opposite sides of the standard 1, so that whenfolding the handle upon the standard it will simply be necessary firstto slide the bars 8 and 9 inward upon one another, secure them by thepin 14 and then swing them on the pin 29 pability of adjustment permitsit to be lengthened and shortened to suit the size of the room in whichthe carpet is to be stretched and to regulate the stroke or extent ofmovement of the handle for stretching a comparatively long strip orsection of carpet, as occasion requires. When the parts are shortened totheir extreme limit and arranged and secured between the bars 2 and 3 ofthe standard 1 the device will be folded compactly and may be stored incomparatively small space for shipment or storage in a warehouse, storeor closet or other storage place in a residence in which it is employedfor use.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of theinvention will be tinderstood without a further extended description.

Changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. 3

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

A carpet stretcher comprising a standard composed of I spaced membershaving permanently secured couplings at each end, said couplings formedof two sockets and a connecting plate, and placed reversely to eachother, a handle provided with a claw at one end, an extension memberupon the handle, means for adjusting the extension member horizontallyand vertically relatively to the standard and means for looking it inits adjusted position.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. FRANK RICHARDSON. Witnesses S. J. HnNsLnY, N. '1. TI-IAW, Jr.

